• normal
  • greater
  • greatest
Send to friend
Print page

Overview

Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in British Columbia. Despite years of public education campaigns, smoke-free legislation, tax increases, advertising restrictions, warnings
on cigarette packages, restrictions on the sale of tobacco, almost 17.4% – 671,774 British Columbians – are still smoking.

While BC may boast the lowest per capita smoking rate in the country; we are home to the fourth largest population of smokers in Canada after Ontario, Quebec and Alberta.

  • There are more than half a million cigarette smokers in BC.
  • 70 percent would like to quit in the next 12 months.
  • Studies have found smokers increase their chances of successfully stopping smoking by 20 to 70 percent by getting quit smoking support counselling.
  • Most smokers are not aware of the powerful tools available to help them quit.
  • Smoking is linked to virtually all the major causes of death and disease in Canada.
  • Approximately 6, 000 British Columbians (and 37,000 Canadians) die every year from smoking-related illnesses. Thousands more are disabled by lung and heart diseases. And countless others suffer the consequences of second-hand smoke exposure.